Questions
by XSerendipity92X
Summary: Prompt - How about Roland's Storybrooke firsts: Making apple turnovers with Regina and Henry showing him how to play an archery video game on the WIi or Kinect or something? OutlawQueen/Setting info inside/Complete


Title – Questions

Setting – Somewhere in between the time after Zelena was defeated and the time portal opening in 3b.

Roland was adapting quite well here in Storybrooke. It was different from the Enchanted Forest where he had spent his entire life in. Even the tents they slept in were different. The clothes they wore weren't the same and the carriages on the paved streets were magic. There weren't any horses pulling them. They moved all on their own. Robin had trouble explaining that one.

This land and its things were so very different and Roland continued to be amazed each day. Just like he was amazed as he watched Henry play an archery game on his wii.

"How did it get in there?" he asked, sitting beside him on the couch and watching with fascination. He and his father had just come over and Regina greeted him with a loving kiss on the cheek and sent him into the living room with Henry. She was making apple turnovers to take to the party at Granny's tonight.

"It's a game Roland. It's not really in there," Henry explained, answering what seemed to be his millionth question of the evening.

"But how is it in there?"

"It's actually on a disc."

"What's a… a disc?" he asked and Henry nearly did a facepalm. He had opened up a whole other round of questions for the young curious boy. Instead of answering he decided to distract him.

"Here, why don't you try," he said, handing Roland the remote.

"Wow," he whispered as he held the white smooth control in his little hands. "Is it a magic wand like the fairies use?"

"Oh boy," Henry muttered, realizing there was no end to the consistent line of questioning. "Um sort of."

"Wow," he whispered again and then the young child started waving it at the screen like he'd seen Henry do. Except, Henry kind of had to back up to avoid getting hit in the face. He grabbed Roland's hand and corrected him, showing him how to shoot and aim with the right buttons. He managed to get a couple shots which had him cheering in delight.

"Henry?" he asked. "How does it know when I want the arrows to shoot?"

"It's some kind of sensor."

"Sensor?"

"You know, maybe you could ask my mom. She's really smart. She knows everything."

"Yeah, 'cause Gina knows everything," he said and then left Henry to go find Regina. Henry couldn't help but laugh in amusement as he pictured his mother struggling to answer many of Roland's unending questions.

Roland came in to see Regina preparing the apple filling at the counter in the center of the kitchen. His father sat in the bar stool beside her, talking softly to her and making her smile.

"Gina, what are you making?" he asked, climbing up on the bar stool on her other side. She helped him up when he couldn't seem to climb up on his own.

"What's this?" he asked, pointing at the sweet apple filling she was mixing.

"A delicious treat. You're going to love them," she smiled at him.

"What are they called!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Apple turnovers," she laughed at his enthusiasm and then he started asking his usual questions and Regina answered each one with a patience she only seemed to reserve for Roland and Henry when he was that age. She even managed to answer questions about Henry's video games and even though she struggled a bit, she managed to answer them.

Robin watched in awe, love shinning in his eyes as he watched her interact with his son. It wasn't until they were putting the turnovers in the oven then he finally decided to save her and put an end to Roland's complicated questioning.

"But papa," he protested as Roland picked him up and carried him to the living room with Regina following behind him. They had a lot of time before they had to be at Granny's and decided to watch a movie with the boys. Roland hasn't seen one yet. "Henry doesn't know anything so he said to ask Gina everything 'cause she's smart."

"Is that so?" he asked and Regina affectionately rolled her eyes for her son as she realized Henry was the one who had sent him and his questions to her. She was definitely getting him back.

"Uh huh," he nodded as they entered the living room. They decided on one of Henry's super hero movies, knowing Roland would enjoy it.

* * *

When the timer went off, Regina reluctantly moved from her warm spot beside Robin and headed into the kitchen with Roland excitedly following her. The moment they were gone, Henry moved from his spot from the floor and moved to the couch beside Robin.

"She really likes you."

"I think it might be a little more than that," Robin realized.

"I know," Henry said seriously and Robin caught on to what the young teen was doing. He was being protective of his mother, and suddenly he didn't sound like the teenager he was. He sounded older, his tone serious as he warned Robin to be careful. "She doesn't love a whole lot of people, but when she does, she loves with every fiber of her being. Don't hurt her."

"She means a lot to me Henry, and things will happen, but just know that I will never hurt her on purpose. I think I might like her a little more than I thought as well."

Henry's stern expression soften at those words and Robin knew in that moment he had Henry's approval. Before anything else could be said, they heard Roland cry out in pain followed by the sound of a pan crashing loudly to the floor.

"Roland!" Robin exclaimed, bolting to the kitchen with Henry right behind him.

Regina was holding a sniffling Roland to the sink, whispering comforting words to him as she held his burnt hand under the cold running water from the faucet. He spotted the pan on the floor surrounded by the ruined apple turnovers.

"What happened?" he asked, his hand on Regina's lower back, the other running through Roland's brown curls in comfort. Regina had tears in her eyes.

"He grabbed a turnover from the pan before I could stop him. I'm sorry," she explained, her voice trembling and unable to meet his eyes. She sat Roland on the counter and Henry grabbed the first aid kit. She bandaged his hand, kissing the top of his head and whispering apologies to him before sending him off with Henry.

"I should have made sure he couldn't reach them," she said, beating herself up and he pulled her into his arms. God, she was shaking.

She thought he was angry at her. She thought he would end things because she had hurt his son. She pulled away and he lifted her chin so that she would look at him.

"Hey, I'm not angry with you. It was an accident," he told her softly.

"But he still got hurt under my watch, accident or not."

"Did you warn him they were hot?" he asked and she nodded. "Then it was an accident. You warned him and he didn't listen. Roland's a child. They don't listen and sometimes they have to face the consequences. Now he knows not to touch anything that comes out of the oven. I don't blame you, love."

She smiled at the term of endearment and he leaned in and kissed her.

* * *

Later that night, they were walking to the diner. Henry had gone ahead a while ago so it was just Robin, Regina, and Roland. They had stopped for ice cream on the way to cheer the child up. He was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to try Regina's apple turnovers. They had been ruined.

"Gina, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course dear."

"Why were you crying when I burned my hand?"

"Because you were hurt."

"And now you know to listen to Regina when she tells you something is hot," Robin reinforced their earlier discussion the two of them had about what had happened. Roland nodded at his father and then looked up at Regina again.

"But you made it better," he said, suddenly wrapping his little arms around her waist. "Thank you Gina." And then he was running to the porch, waiting right outside of Granny's. He's never seen his father so happy, not like right now as Robin pulled Regina in for a kiss.


End file.
